Going Green

Our household is going green today...and I don't mean saving the environment...more like saving human lives.

I had never heard of Mitochondrial Disease until I met a precious little girl who just happened to go to the same church as myself. She is full of smiles and personality! You would never know that something like this disease had any effect on her or her personality. However, after learning more about this disease I was blown away...there is so much this little girl has to endure. What made it even more striking to me was what her parents had to do to help their little girl survive. Yet through it all, their ups and their downs, their joys and their trials they are full of hope, full of love, and never stop leaning on God. Such a testimony through this wonderful family. I am humbled at the thought that anything that I have ever been through is nothing compared to what they go through every day. I am still learning more and more about this disease, especially this week. It is Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week. We are all going GREEN and learning some lessons in the process. My children have even gotten involved in wanting to do something to raise awareness. Today, in our home we are all going to wear green and we are going to make stickers to wear! We have already gone green on facebook. I have come across some coloring pages that the kids will color and we will talk about what this disease is and what we can do about it as part of their homeschool lessons! We will also be baking some cookies with green M&Ms! Yum!

So what is this disease I speak of?

Mitochondrial diseases result from failures of the mitochondria, specialized compartments present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating more than 90% of the energy needed by the body to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. Cell injury and even cell death follow. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. The disease primarily affects children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common.

Diseases of the mitochondria appear to cause the most damage to cells of the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney and the endocrine and respiratory systems.

Depending on which cells are affected, symptoms may include loss of motor control, muscle weakness and pain, gastro-intestinal disorders and swallowing difficulties, poor growth, cardiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, respiratory complications, seizures, visual/hearing problems, lactic acidosis, developmental delays and susceptibility to infection.

Now that you know what can you do to learn more and how can you help?

~First check out the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Website and GET INFORMED!
http://www.umdf.org


~Then if that doesn't work, check out the website for the little girl that I mentioned and maybe, by the Grace of God your heart will get stirred and you will want to know more
and GET INVOLVED!
http://www.helpcureanamaria.com/

~GO GREEN! Not just this week but everyday!

Thank You! Hope everyone has a blessed day and a wonderful weekend!